Look at the excuses and scare tactics use by the Chamber of Commerce, which is suppose to see that workers benefit from the work environment I believe. And look at the way it has been reduced to nothing by the 2 parties and their interests groups.

to release inmates to save the run away local budgets. More reason to build them prisons. Why because our schools produce more ready for crime than the ones who will go on to be productive citizens. And the people who lose their jobs all don't have credit or savings to fall back on to help them right now. The ones living pay check to paycheck and never getting ahead.

The Capital Journal, Opinion page. Mentions a certin Mr. Smith who Mr. David Cay Jonhston used to show the inter workings of the elite and the reason for policy changes. But there are other national opinions from here in KS.

the way of the city council. B.S. happens and this clown is full of it.

What about the city council continued ignoring the wishes of the people who elected the Mayor. He is looking out for the city and on two issues that the city council (where this clown was chosen to be deputy mayor from) won't accept the peoples desires over their gains if they get this crap passed. Simple power struggle but with party affiliations and personnel gains.

Giving the scanner a break. Easyier on your eye. Some good comes from the
briefings in Washington...
Both sides of the partiess that go to Washington for us Kasans share their point of view. One is in touch with the people 2 are out of touch speakinng the GOP B.S. lets us grap some more.

This woman is on the money, she is for the troops first. Our state has some who are in touch. Gives me hope. See at all levels there are a few who want this experiment we are enjoying (some not as much as others) To work properly. As most of us and our countrymen. It can correct itself, adjust and move on as a united nation, working for th ebeyyerment and in a way as to not flaunt our power. The one after. Just sad news.

Delegation reacts to Gen. Petraeus
By Tim Carpenter
The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, April 10, 2008
U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda responded Wednesday to the latest military update on Iraq with concern that lengthy deployments had weakened the nation's capacity to counter future terrorism threats.

Boyda, a Kansas Democrat who represents Topeka in Congress, said U.S. forces should be redeployed from Iraq to a fault line on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border from where military intelligence experts believe the next domestic terrorism threat could emerge.

COMING HOME

After 15 months in Iraq, the first contingent of soldiers from Fort Riley is about to return home.

The soldiers were part of the 4th Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division that was sent to Iraq last year, when the U.S. beefed up its troop levels.

Fort Riley officials say the first 500 soldiers will return to Kansas today, with more expected to arrive over the next two weeks. In all, 3,400 soldiers from the brigade will return.
"I'm not calling for an immediate withdrawal," she said in an interview from Washington. "I'm calling for a responsible, careful redeployment."

During the past two days, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of American forces in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the American ambassador to Iraq, delivered assessments of the situation there to House and Senate committees. Both spoke of fragile, uneven improvements resulting from the 2007 troop surge, but they made no promises for significant reduction in the American military presence in Iraq beyond a planned scale-down from the surge.

Petraeus reported the surge cut insurgent attacks and Iraq's forces were more capable, but the potential of Sunni or Shiite violence remained high. He recommended 20,000 extra combat troops be withdrawn by July, followed by a 45-day evaluation of conditions in Iraq prior to discussion of further pullouts.

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., said he viewed it as a "very good report" from the front line in Iraq.

"It's still a difficult situation," the senator said. "Overall, certainly from a year ago, from where we were a year ago, this is a real turnaround."

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said he had confidence in Petraeus' plan for cautious trimming of the number of American troops in Iraq.

"His recommendation for a pause in troop reductions makes common sense if we are to preserve the progress we have made to date," Roberts said.

He said it was important the United States shorten deployments to 12 months from the current 15 months.

"This is overdue for our men and women in uniform and their families," he said.

The fighting in Iraq has cost the United States billions of dollars and the lives of more than 4,000 soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen.

Boyda said other high-ranking officers have expressed concern in congressional briefings that six years of war in Afghanistan and five in Iraq stretched the military's readiness, in terms of manpower and equipment, close to a "red line." The U.S. armed forces has the capacity to respond to a new crisis, she said, but not sustain that deployment.

"We are in a volatile, dangerous situation," Boyda said. "The American people are waking up to the fact that having all our eggs in Iraq is not keeping us safer."

She said the U.S. troop surge resulted in tactical success on the ground, but not definitive advances in sectarian reconciliation among Iraqis.

Brownback agreed political unrest still dominated the war-torn country's landscape.

"The Iraqis are making some political progress," he said. "They need to make more. They need to take on issues more themselves."

Brownback also said U.S. public opinion polls indicate Americans are conflicted on Iraq.

"People don't want to be there," he said, "but they also don't want to lose."

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Reader Comments
+ 3 Rating Posted by: billb40 at Apr 10, 2008 at 09:03:47 AM
The war in Iraq needs to be turned over to Iraq. It is their country let them do whatever they want. We have spent to much in lives and limbs. The we are not in the best position to deal with terrorist threats as long as we stay deeply involved in this mess.

-3 Rating Posted by: 65impala at Apr 10, 2008 at 09:26:35 AM
To the contrary, This is the position we need to be in at this time. The insurgents are the terrest threats. Granted, the Iraq people need to step up. If we leave now the terrorists will most definitly use the instability to fund and train for future attacks. Hate President Bush if you must, but if you honestly think back to 9/11/01, we all were looking over our collective shoulders waiting for the next major attack. It has been 6 years and 6 months since that tragedy and this country has not had the major attack that we were all expecting. That is not a fluke. That is from our good soldiers and our domestic agencies keeping them, the terrists, on the run. It is worth every penney and drop of blood to keep us safe.

+ 3 Rating Posted by: barticus at Apr 10, 2008 at 11:52:14 AM
65impala: It's been a picnic since 9/11, hasn't it? More than 4,000 young Americans dead and approximately 30,000 maimed for life. We will have to spend over $3 TRILLION to recover from this disaster. History will show that the United States began its descent as a world power when George Bush became president.

Posted by: TopekaIsBoring at Apr 10, 2008 at 12:24:02 PM
Six more months! All we need is six more months and we will win!

+ 3 Rating Posted by: T-TownTracker at Apr 10, 2008 at 12:41:51 PM
Why did you have to bring up 9/11? Now I gotta jump in. Intelligence was skewed to loosely link Iraq to 9/11. That is an universally accepted fact. It was British intelligence, and the British have said it was wrong. We had the world behind us in our fight on terror and that good will was squandered. This war never was about 9/11, it was just an excuse and we will have a presence in Irag until the oil is gone. Remember the plan to have the oil pay for the war? HA! Where is the oil money going now??? Does anyone even ask? Deep down we all know how the world works, but only some of us can stop salute our commander-in-chief with our heads stuck in the sand.

Posted by: T-TownTracker at Apr 10, 2008 at 12:43:38 PM
^ please omit the word "stop" in the last sentence.

-1 Rating Posted by: T-TownTracker at Apr 10, 2008 at 12:47:33 PM
barticus, I don't think many of us are ready to thrown in the towel yet.

-1 Rating Posted by: 65impala at Apr 10, 2008 at 03:23:51 PM
If you would all read, I did not say that Iraq was involved loosly or directly, but it sure keeps them, the radical muslum movement, occupied there and not here. If it were indeed about the US wanting the oil, we would have claimed it for ourselves as the spoils of war. No, this action was to rid the Iraqi people from a murdering dictator who was killing his own people and threatening the stability of the region. I will grant you there were many unforseen effects of removing Saddam. Like they say hindsight is 20/20.

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What do you want to be our direction? Our dealings with other nations? How to correct the market to a better deal and growth while paying fair due. Awwww dreams, hope.

Homeless man arrested in rape
The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, April 10, 2008
A homeless man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a rape that occurred Tuesday in Manhattan.

Derek Suave Myers, 19, was booked into the Riley County Jail in connection with kidnapping and rape.

Riley County police Capt. Hank Nelson said officers were notified of the rape Tuesday afternoon. An investigation showed the victim had been held against her will and raped on the southwest side of the city.

Woman arrested in stabbing
The Capital-Journal
Published Thursday, April 10, 2008
A Topeka woman was arrested Tuesday in the stabbing of a 41-year-old man earlier in the day.

Marla Gubanyi, 30, was booked into the Shawnee County Jail in connection with aggravated domestic battery.

Police were called at about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday to the 6200 block of S.W. 26th Court on the report of a stabbing. Emergency personnel arrived to find the victim with stab wounds initially considered to be life-threatening and transported him to a local hospital.

The victim's condition since has been stabilized.

And this partial story from our man Gates, who is telling us what is to be. Decided and ask yourself whos is his bosses! They give names so find trails.

Defense secretary sees no chance for US troop strength in Iraq to drop below 100,000 in 2008

DEB RIECHMANN
Associated Press Writer
Defense Secretary Robert Gates testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 10, 2008, before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the future of Iraq. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday he sees no chance that the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will drop to 100,000 by the end of the year, guaranteeing a heavy American military presence as the war grinds into its sixth year to the end of the Bush presidency.

President Bush said Gen. David Petraeus, his top commander in Iraq, can take "all the time he needs" to consider further withdrawals after the latest round of cutbacks is completed in July. In the meantime, Petraeus will continue what, until Thursday, had been secret visits to Middle Eastern countries to try to curb the influx of foreign fighters into Iraq.

With 285 days remaining in his presidency, Bush set the course of the war in a speech following two days of testimony before a skeptical Congress by Petraeus and the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker.